Kunzea recurva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kunzea recurva |
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| Kunzea recurva growing in the Hassell National Park | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Kunzea
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| Species: |
recurva
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Kunzea recurva is a special type of flowering plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. It grows naturally only in Western Australia, meaning it is endemic there. This plant is a bit rare. It's a shrub with small leaves and pretty pink or purple flowers that grow in groups at the ends of its branches.
What Kunzea recurva Looks Like
Kunzea recurva is a shrub that stands upright and has many branches. It can grow from about 30 centimetres (1 foot) to 2 metres (6.5 feet) tall. Its younger branches are covered in tiny hairs.
The leaves of this plant are quite unique. Their base presses against the stem, but their tips spread outwards. They are mostly egg-shaped, with the narrower part closer to the stem. Each leaf is usually about 2 to 2.5 millimetres long and 1.5 to 3 millimetres wide, sitting on a short stalk.
The flowers are a beautiful pink to reddish-purple colour. They grow in round groups, about 15 millimetres across, at the very ends of the branches. Each flower has petals that are shaped like an egg or a small spoon, about 2 millimetres wide. Inside each flower, there are usually 20 to 35 stamens (the parts that produce pollen), which are about 3.5 to 5 millimetres long.
Kunzea recurva usually flowers between August and December, but it's most common to see its blooms from September to November. After the flowers, the plant produces a fruit that looks like an urn-shaped capsule, with the sepals (leaf-like parts that protect the bud) still attached.
How Kunzea recurva Got Its Name
The plant Kunzea recurva was first officially described by a botanist named Johannes Conrad Schauer. This happened in 1844, and his description was published in a book called Plantae Preissianae by Johann Georg Christian Lehmann.
The second part of its scientific name, recurva, comes from a Latin word, curvus. This word means "bent" or "curved." So, the name likely refers to how parts of the plant, perhaps its leaves, are bent or curved.
Where Kunzea recurva Grows
Kunzea recurva is not a very common plant. It is usually found in specific areas of Western Australia, mainly in the South West and Great Southern regions.
You can often spot this plant in places that are wet, like depressions in the ground, or sometimes on rocky slopes. It can grow in different types of soil, showing it's quite adaptable to its preferred damp or rocky homes.
